Early Entrance

Procedures for early entrance to kindergarten

By ruling of the School Board, children are eligible to enroll in kindergarten if they are five years old on or before September 1 for the upcoming school year.

Parents of children with birthdays between September 2-November 1 may apply for Early Entrance to Kindergarten.

An Early Entrance to Kindergarten team will host an ‘Early Entrance to Kindergarten Ready Opportunity’ in April for students to demonstrate they are ready to start Kindergarten early. During the experience, students will have a classroom experience of like-aged peers and take part in a brief intelligence assessment.

Spring Lake Park Schools will contact the parent/guardian with information regarding the Early Entrance to Kindergarten Initial Screening to be held in April

Parents/guardians are required to submit, in person, the following to the District Services Center on or before Friday, February 28, 2020:
• A check for $150 made payable to Spring Lake Park Schools to cover the cost of assessment and consultation time
• A birth certificate for age verification
• Proof of address
• Non-resident form, if applicable

If the child meets the criteria on the comprehensive academic and social/emotional assessment, he or she may enter kindergarten on a probationary admission. Prior to this probationary admission, parents/guardians will be required to fill out the online enrollment application and submit the child's immunization forms.

Early entrance to kindergarten is probationary until December 1. Probationary admission means that the school staff will closely be monitoring your child to ensure that kindergarten is the right social, emotional, and cognitive fit for your child. If it is decided that kindergarten is not the appropriate setting at this time, your child will be un-enrolled and asked to enroll again the following fall. Because of this probationary period, we recommend that you keep open communication with your child’s teacher and have a back-up child care or preschool plan.